Article
Environmental Sciences
Sarah Gomm, Thomas Bernauer
Summary: Based on a study, the authors found that subjective perception of environmental stressors has a greater impact on mental health compared to objective pollution. Additionally, actual nature visits have a stronger predictive power on mental health than mere proximity to green spaces. The results showed that there is no direct link between actual environmental stressors and mental health, but rather, it is mediated through perceived environmental stressors. Therefore, policy interventions should focus on individuals' subjective perception of environmental stressors and provide attractive and accessible green spaces to reduce negative impacts on mental health.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Transportation
Jing Ma, Guanqiu Liu, Mei-Po Kwan, Yanwei Chai
Summary: The study found significant variations in travel satisfaction and co-exposure to real-time air pollution and noise among different transportation modes. Individuals using public transport experience higher levels of noise exposure and tend to have lower levels of travel satisfaction. While perceived air pollution and noise have direct impacts on travel experiences, the pathways between objective pollution and travel satisfaction differ for air pollution and noise.
TRAVEL BEHAVIOUR AND SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Joana Soares, Isabel Miguel, Catia Venancio, Isabel Lopes, Miguel Oliveira
Summary: Plastic pollution is a global environmental issue caused by human industrial and domestic activities, and understanding public perceptions about it can help engage society in solutions. Research in Portugal showed that participants were aware of the degradation of plastics in the environment and perceived bio-ecological impacts as a greater threat than socioeconomic impacts. Socio-demographic variables and knowledge about plastic pollution impacts were found to predict pro-environmental behaviors. Awareness about the impacts of plastic pollution was highly associated with pro-environmental behavior, providing insights on how to enhance such behaviors and reduce the presence of micro(nano)plastics in the environment.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Business
Yaxin Ming, Huixin Deng, Xiaoyue Wu
Summary: Research shows that people are less willing to engage in pro-environmental behavior when air pollution is severe, including purchasing pro-environmental products, participating in recycling, sustainable travel, and donating to environmental organizations.
JOURNAL OF BUSINESS RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xiaoqin Li, Yonghui Li
Summary: This study uses data from the China Migrants Dynamic Survey to examine the impact of perceived air pollution on migrant labor supply. The findings reveal a significant negative effect of perceived air pollution on labor supply. Improving citizens' perception of air quality and protecting the labor rights and interests of vulnerable groups in the labor market are important for sustainable economic development.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Xi Zhang, Jiangtao Du, David Chow
Summary: The indoor environmental quality has a significant impact on the mental and work performances of office workers. This review highlights the effects of various indoor environmental characteristics on mental wellbeing, cognitive performance, productivity, and satisfaction in offices. It emphasizes the need for more research on visual quality of decoration and environmental maintenance and the importance of experimental studies to test the association between these factors and occupants' performances in offices.
BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Elizabeth Cooper, Yan Wang, Samuel Stamp, Esfandiar Burman, Dejan Mumovic
Summary: The quality of indoor air is crucial for people's well-being, and using air purifiers can effectively reduce PM2.5 concentrations indoors. However, the main motivation for most people to use air purifiers is thermal comfort rather than improving air quality.
BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Economics
Chon-Kit Ao, Yilin Dong, Pei-Fen Kuo
Summary: This study, based on a nationally representative longitudinal survey in China, demonstrates that exposure to both indoor and ambient air pollution has adverse effects on mental health, especially increasing the likelihood of depressive symptoms in the elderly population. Furthermore, the study shows that the impact of air pollution is more pronounced in less educated individuals and females.
CHINA ECONOMIC REVIEW
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Yinhua Tao, Yanwei Chai, Xue Zhang, Jie Yang, Mei-Po Kwan
Summary: The study in urban China found that residents of different types of housing were exposed to varying PM2.5 concentrations, with residents of public low-rent housing being the disadvantaged group due to their limited mobility, exposure to serious air pollution at home, and insensitive stress responses to air pollution. These findings uncover a mobility-based environmental justice issue and provide references for residential mix policy to narrow the disparity in environmental pollution exposure.
SOCIAL SCIENCE & MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Zihui Wang, Yumin Zhou, Yongbo Zhang, Xiaoliang Huang, Xianzhong Duan, Duohong Chen, Yubo Ou, Longhui Tang, Shiliang Liu, Wei Hu, Chenghao Liao, Yijia Zheng, Long Wang, Min Xie, Jinzhen Zheng, Sha Liu, Ming Luo, Fan Wu, Zhishan Deng, Heshen Tian, Jieqi Peng, Huajing Yang, Shan Xiao, Xinwang Wang, Nanshan Zhong, Pixin Ran
Summary: In Guangdong, the reduction in PM2.5, PM10, and SO2 concentrations may lead to a decrease in attributable hospital admissions for AECOPD, while ozone (O-3) has emerged as an important risk factor.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Studies
Liat Ayalon
Summary: The present study explores the possible mediators of the association between perceived neighborhood characteristics and wellbeing. Objective factors such as social participation, community engagement, and number of chronic conditions, as well as subjective factors such as loneliness, perceived discrimination, and subjective health indicators, were examined as possible mediators. The findings suggest that the association between perceived neighborhood characteristics and wellbeing is partially mediated by loneliness, perceived discrimination, and subjective health, but not by community engagement, social participation, and number of chronic conditions. The study highlights the importance of subjective mediators in explaining the association between perceived neighborhood characteristics and wellbeing, calling for further attention to subjective characteristics in improving older persons' wellbeing.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sarah Koch, Sasha Khomenko, Marta Cirach, Monica Ubalde-Lopez, Sacha Baclet, Carolyn Daher, Laura Hidalgo, Mare Lohmus, Debora Rizzuto, Romain Rumpler, Yusak Susilo, Siddharth Venkataraman, Sandra Wegener, Gregory A. Wellenius, James Woodcock, Mark Nieuwenhuijsen
Summary: Responses to COVID-19 altered environmental exposures and health behaviors. The study quantified changes in nitrogen dioxide (NO2), noise, physical activity, and greenspace visits and estimated the impacts on diagnoses of myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, depression, and anxiety. The results showed that reductions in physical activity had the greatest impact, and to reduce cardiovascular and mental health impacts, decreases in NO2 and noise should be sustained without reducing physical activity.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yinhua Tao, Lirong Kou, Yanwei Chai, Mei-Po Kwan
Summary: The study investigates the impact of co-exposures to air pollution and noise on psychological stress in different spatiotemporal contexts. Results indicate that individual mobility and the dynamics of environmental pollutants play a role in exposure effects.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Charles Abimbola Faseyi, Michael K. Miyittah, Levi Yafetto
Summary: This study employed a qualitative research method using the DPSIR framework to assess the drivers of environmental degradation and their implications on Anlo and Sanwoma coastal communities in Ghana. The findings revealed severe degradation in the coastal communities due to drivers such as gold mining, farming, improper waste disposal, and illegal fishing. The estuaries in these communities were contaminated with metals and had negative impacts on fish catch and residents' health.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Qingbin Guo, Yong Wang, Yao Zhang, Ming Yi, Tian Zhang
Summary: The study found that air pollution significantly affects population migration in Chinese cities, particularly among women, middle-aged individuals, those with lower education levels, agricultural households, Han Chinese groups, and populations in southern cities. Physical health is a key factor influencing individual migration decisions.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Vladimir Jolidon, Vincent De Prez, Barbara Willems, Piet Bracke, Stephane Cullati, Claudine Burton-Jeangros
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Piet Bracke, Katrijn Delaruelle, Rozemarijn Dereuddre, Sarah Van de Velde
SOCIAL SCIENCE & MEDICINE
(2020)
Article
Anesthesiology
Maite Van Alboom, Lies De Ruddere, Sara Kindt, Tom Loeys, Dimitri Van Ryckeghem, Piet Bracke, Manasi M. Mittinty, Liesbet Goubert
Summary: This study compared daily well-being and perceived stigmatization in individuals with clearly defined symptoms and underlying pathophysiology (RA) and individuals with less well understood symptoms and pathophysiology (FM), finding that FM patients and those with both diagnoses reported worse daily well-being. Additionally, there was more perceived stigma in FM patients compared to RA patients.
CLINICAL JOURNAL OF PAIN
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Vladimir Jolidon, Piet Bracke, Claudine Burton-Jeangros
Summary: The study finds that GP gatekeeping systems and stronger primary care systems are associated with reduced cancer screening uptake likelihood in both Pap smear and mammography, while higher expenditures on old age and survivors are associated with increased mammography uptake. Cross-level interactions show that higher expenditures on sickness/healthcare, disability, social exclusion and public health, and a higher number of GPs, lead to smaller educational inequalities in cancer screening uptake. Higher out-of-pocket payments, however, have the opposite effect of increasing inequalities.
SSM-POPULATION HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mingshan Jia, Maite Van Alboom, Liesbet Goubert, Piet Bracke, Bogdan Gabrys, Katarzyna Musial
Summary: Graph embedding approaches have gained increasing attention recently for their ability to convert network data into vector spaces while preserving graph structural information and properties. However, existing approaches often overlook important information about interactions between nodes and lack explainability in the learned embeddings. This paper introduces a framework that embeds edge type information in graphlets and extends two combinatorial approaches to edge-attributed networks. The proposed method is applied to a case study of chronic pain patients, revealing the importance of both network structure and social ties in understanding the impact of chronic pain. Furthermore, the edge-type encoded graphlets approach outperforms traditional methods in node classification tasks.
Article
Health Policy & Services
Camille Duveau, Camille Wets, Katrijn Delaruelle, Stephanie Demoulin, Marie Dauvrin, Brice Lepiece, Melissa Ceuterick, Stephanie De Maesschalck, Piet Bracke, Vincent Lorant
Summary: Populations with a migration background have higher prevalence of mental health problems and unmet medical needs compared to native counterparts. Physicians, particularly general practitioners, may unintentionally discriminate against migrant patients, possibly due to lack of humanization. A study was conducted to assess the influence of humanization on GPs' discriminatory decisions regarding migrant patients with depression.
ADMINISTRATION AND POLICY IN MENTAL HEALTH AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Angel R. Zapata-Moya, Jeremy Freese, Piet Bracke
Summary: The Fundamental Cause Theory suggests that as society increases its capacity to control and prevent diseases, health inequalities are reproduced. This study analyzes the diffusion processes of various innovations in the U.S. and supports the idea that educational inequalities emerge, amplify, and reduce through the continuous diffusion of preventive innovations.
SOCIAL SCIENCE & MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Ethnic Studies
Camille Duveau, Camille Wets, Katrijn Delaruelle, Stephanie Demoulin, Marie Dauvrin, Brice Lepiece, Melissa Ceuterick, Stephanie De Maesschalck, Piet Bracke, Vincent Lorant
Summary: This study found that there were ethnic differences in general practitioners' (GPs) decisions regarding diagnosis and treatment recommendations for patients with a migration background. GPs perceived the symptoms of patients with a migration background as less severe and were less likely to prescribe a combination of medical and non-medical treatments. These differences increased with the age and perceived workload of the GP and when the GP believed that the patient was exaggerating their distress.
ETHNICITY & HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Family Studies
Jorik Vergauwen, Katrijn Delaruelle, Pearl A. Dykstra, Piet Bracke, Dimitri Mortelmans
Summary: This study investigates changes in the frequency of parent-child contact among Europeans aged 65 years and over during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings suggest that, overall, older adults' level of intergenerational contact with non-coresident children remained stable or even increased during the pandemic, although some subgroups were more likely to report reduced contact.
JFR-JOURNAL OF FAMILY RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Sarah Van de Velde, Katrijn Delaruelle, Nina Van Eekert, Piet Bracke
Summary: This study found a strong association between perceived group discrimination against one's gender and depression, which varied by societal levels of gender equality. In more gender-egalitarian societies, men reported more depressive feelings when confronted with gender discrimination, highlighting the importance of considering social context in mental health research.
SCANDINAVIAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
(2021)
Review
Psychiatry
Lisa Colman, Katrijn Delaruelle, Carolien Luypaert, Rebekka Verniest, Piet Bracke
Summary: This study revealed a significant association between causal beliefs and stigma, where personal or biogenetic beliefs were linked to increased stigma, while psychosocial beliefs were associated with decreased stigma. In terms of help seeking recommendations, psychosocial beliefs were related to recommending psychological or psychotherapeutic care, biogenetic beliefs were linked to seeking help from general practitioners or psychiatrists, and personal beliefs were negatively associated with recommending formal help. Biogenetic beliefs were also associated with fewer informal help seeking recommendations, while personal beliefs were linked to more informal help seeking recommendations and psychosocial beliefs were only associated with online help referral.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHIATRY
(2021)
Article
Sociology
Sam Gorleer, Piet Bracke, Lesley Hustinx
EUROPEAN SOCIOLOGICAL REVIEW
(2020)
Article
Gerontology
Vera van de Straat, Loretta G. Platts, Jussi Vahtera, Hugo Westerlund, Piet Bracke
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Barbara Willems, Stephane Cullati, Vincent De Prez, Vladimir Jolidon, Claudine Burton-Jeangros, Piet Bracke
JOURNAL OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL BEHAVIOR
(2020)
Article
Sociology
Paola Signoretta, Piet Bracke, Veerle Buffel
FRONTIERS IN SOCIOLOGY
(2020)
